Collapsible tube



July 11, 1944.

la.A E. HARMAN COLLAPSIBLE TUBE Filed June 4, 1942 Patented July 11,1944 COLLABSIBLE TUBE Burl E. Harman, Henryetta, Okla.

Application June 4, 1942, Serial No. 445,781

Claims.

This invention relates to a collapsible tube and provides a constructionadapted for use as a substitute for metallic collapsible tubes such asare used to contain toothpaste, shaving cream, ointments and variousother goods.

It is particularly aimed to provide a construction which will beconvenient and sanitary and economical to manufacture.

I further aim to provide a construction having novel coacting inner andouter tubes in combination with a cap, such tubes being capable ofreduction in length, if desired, as the contained material is dispensed.

Various additional objects and advantages will be evident from aconsideration of the description following taken in connection withaccompanying drawing illustrating an operative embodim-ent.

In said drawing- Figure 1 is a view of the improved tube in sideelevation, being partly broken away to disclose details;

Figure 2 is a longitudinal section taken on the line 2-2 of Figure 1;

Figure 3 is a longitudinal section taken on the line 3 3 of Figure 2;

Figure 4 is a plan view of the tube;

Figure 5 is a horizontal section taken on the line 5-5 of Figure 3, and

Figure 6 is a side elevation, partly broken away, of the cap.

Referring specically to the drawing wherein like reference charactersdesignate like or similar parts, an outside tube is provided at Il] openat both top and bottom. This tube may be of stiff cardboard, althoughcapable of manufacture from various material. The outer wall of the tubelil is wel adapted for the printing of advertising, branding anddirections of the manufacturer thereon. The tube is self-supporting andprotects the contents of the container or collapsible tube. On itsinterior, the tube IIl is preferably lined at I I with a strong sanitaryand un- :contaminating stiff palper or thin cardboard, the same beingadhesively joined or otherwise secured to the inner Wall of tube lil orother part.

Within the tube l0 and its lining II, I provide an inside tube I2. Thelatter tube may be made of any suitable material but preferably of astrong sanitary and uncontaminating stiff paper or thin cardboard withits upper end open and bottom end closed as at I3, the saine beinginteriorly reinforced if desired by a cardboard or paper bottom disc I4.

It Will be noted that the inside tube has diametrically oppositeelongated slots at I5 open at the outlet end of the tube and extendingpractically to the bottom thereof.

At the said outlet end I provide a 'cap IS. This cap may be made of asuitable metal or of a plastic material or any other suitable material.The cap has depending outer and inner Walls or flanges at Il and I8,respectively, surrounding the exterior of outer tube Ill and extendinginteriorly into the inside tube I2. Il and I may be clamped orlcompressed so as to hold the tuibes Iii and l2 in place by friction orin the article as sold the tubes II) and I2 may be temporarily joined tothe cap lby an adhesive or in any other suitable manner.

The aforesaid slotting of the inside tube I2 lprovides arcuate walls i9and such walls are entered in and are slidable through arcuate slots 26provided in the cap I6.

Closure and guide lugs 2l are provided on the outside surface of theflange I8 and are located in the slots I5.

The cap may have any suitable outlet means as for instance, a dischargeneck 22, exteriorly screw threaded at 23" andl detachably engaged by ascrew threaded closure 24.

Both the outside tube Il! and the inside tube I2 may have weakened orscored lines thereon at 25 and 2li, respectively, enabling portions ofsuch tubes to be detached or torn from the remainder as the contents ofthe inside tube I2 are dispensed or progressively diminishes.

The operation is suggested particularly in Figure 2 where it will beobserved that the inside tube I2 has been moved to an elevated positionin dotted lines. Such inside tube is slidable relatively to the outsidetube as the contents is dispensed, that portion of the inside tube I2 atthe walls I9, which project above the cap, being severed along the lines26. In addition, the outside tube may be severed to correspond along theline or lines 25, at the base of the latter.

Various changes may be resorted to provided they fall withiny the spiritand scope of the inven tion as hereinafter dened by the appended claims.

I claim as my invention:

l. A collapsible tube structure comprising an outside tulbe, an insidetube Within the same, a cap carried by the outside tube provided withslot means, and means intertting said inside tube and cap for relativesliding movement of the tube through said slot means in the cap indispensing the contents of the inside tube.

2. A Icollapsble tube structure comprising an The anges outside tube, aninside tube therein and slidable relatively thereto, a cap :carried bythe outside tube provided With slots, said inside tube having slotsproviding portions slidable in the first-mentioned slots, and means onthe cap intertted in one of the slots of the inside tube.

3. A collapsible tube structure comprising an outside tube, an insidetube therein and slidable relatively thereto, a cap carried by theoutside tube, said inside tube and cap having slots enabling relativesliding movement of the inside tube and cap, said cap having lugsextending into slots of the inside tube.

4. A collapsible tube structure comprising an outside tube, an insidetube therein and slida-ble relatively thereto, a cap carried iby theoutside tuibe, said inside tube and 'cap having slots enabling relativesliding movement of the inside tube and leap, and depending flanges onthe cap respectively engaging the outer surface of the outside tube andthe inner surface of the inside tube.

5. A collapsible tube structure comprising an 'outside tube, an insidetube therein and slidable relatively thereto, a cap carried by theoutside tube, said inside tube and cap having slots enabling relativesliding movement; of the inside tube and cap, and depending anges on thecap respectively engaging the outer surface of the outside tulbe and theinner surface of the inside tube, and lugs on the outer surface of theinner an'ge entering the slots of the inside twbe.

BURL E. HARMAN.

